The Greene Mysteries
Binghamton Courier, November 26, 1845
The strange occurrences of which the village of Greene, Chenango County, has been the principal theatre, are, no doubt, fresh in the recollection of our readers. These are, first, the mysterious disappearance of a Mrs. Bolt, about a year and a half ago; secondly, the alleged seizure of Mrs. Burdick a few weeks since, in broad day, by two ruffians, who gagged, bound and bore her from her house a quarter or half a mile; threw her into a ditch, piled logs on her and left her for dead; and, thirdly, a similar, but less heinous outrage alleged to have been perpetrated soon after upon a Mrs. Vars. The efforts of the citizens of Greene to bring light out of the darkness in which these singular occurrences were enveloped, though persevering and protracted, were not very successful. Mrs. Burdick, though rescued in season to preserve life, remained insane and was sent to the Asylum at Utica. Her testimony, it was supposed, would prove important. Accordingly on the recovery of her health and return to her friends, a few days since, her deposition was taken; and on application to Justice Kattel of this village, a warrant was granted, and the Sheriff of the County proceeded to Greene, and on Sunday evening the 15th inst., arrested Mr. John Johnson of that place, on the charge of having murdered Mrs. Bolt. The venue, is, therefore, for the present, changed to Binghamton. The investigation before justices Kattel and Seymour was commenced on Tuesday the 18th, and has now consumed seven days. Mr. Johnson is an elderly gentleman 75 or 77 years old, of very considerable wealth and respectable family and connections. His defense is committed to Daniel S. Dickinson, John A. Collier, and others. the prosecution is conducted by the District Attorney, A. Birdsall Esqr., assisted by A. Cook of Chenango and others. The case, from the magnitude of the charge, and the very extraordinary circumstances connected with it, excites universal interest. As we write, the testimony on the side of the prosecution is not yet closed. Altogether it would probably fill our entire paper; and so far, it must be remembered, presents but one side of the case. For the satisfaction of the public, as well as to check idle rumor, we will state the material points in the testimony; which may be done, we think, without prejudice to any body.
Mr. Bolt's account of the disappearance of his wife is as follows: In the spring or summer of 1844, he and his family removed from Greene onto a farm belonging to Mr. Johnson in the Town of Triangle, Broome County. As the teams were about starting, Mr. Johnson came along with his buggy and took Mrs. Bolt and the youngest child in, and carried them to the farm; where, before the arrival of the others, he committed a rape on the person of Mrs. B. as she alleged. Mr. Bolt threatened prosecution. Mr. Johnson in an interview with him, denied the rape, but acknowledged improper conduct with his wife, and offered him money or land to settle, which he refused. Mrs. Bolt became low spirited and strange in her actions. Her family were alarmed and watched her. On the night of her disappearance, she made one or two efforts to get out of doors, which Mr. B., prevented. At length he dozed, unconsciously--heard a noise--sprang from the bed--and saw his wife just closing the door after her. He followed. The night was dark, her dress was dark, he called and listened and searched, but all to no purpose, and from that moment, all knowledge of Mrs. Bolt is lost. It lacked about two hours of daylight. He searched the well. In the morning the neighborhood turned out--hundreds joined the search; and subsequently, hearing of wandering or insane females in different directions, he visited the poor house of the county, and also of several of the adjoining Counties, but all with no success.
Mrs. Burdick is quite young, and fair looking. Her husband is also very young. We should not think him over 19 or 20. Mrs. B.'s tale is stranger than fiction. She testifies to having overheard Mr. Johnson enquire of her mother (widow Baxter) whether she would marry him if he could dispose of Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Baxter asked how that could be done. Mr. J. replied, as he got rid of Mrs. Bolt, or to that effect. This was before Mrs. Brudick's marriage which occurred this last summer. Mr. Burdick was a tenant of Mr. Johnson. After they were keeping house, Mr. Johnson called one day, and sent her husband off on some pretense. Then he went out, but soon returned with a bag, the contents of which he emptied on the hearth and which proved to be human bones. These bones Mr. J. declared to the be the bones of Mrs. Bolt, and shaking an axe over Mrs. B., he said if she ever exposed him, he would serve her as he had served Mrs. B. He furthermore told her that she must assist him to burn them, that she might be as guilty as he was. She fainted. When she came to, the bones were burning on the fire, and Mr. J. was breaking them with the axe on the hearth to aid in their decomposition. The outrage on Mrs. Burdick was perpetrated soon after. Mrs. B's account of which, does not vary materially from that already published. Mrs. B. has been subject to fits and convulsions for years. She has exhibited symptoms of insanity during the investigation; and still, many points of her testimony are corroborated by that of other witnesses, quite a number of whom have been examined. Among them are a daughter of Mr. Bolt, Mrs. Hammond, sister to Mr. Burdick, Dr. Purple, and Mr. Burdick. Mr. Johnson's defense is still to come. Among the points on which his counsel will rely, no doubt, are the singularity, and almost incredibility of Mrs. Burdick's story, and her insanity and fits, as furnishing evidence of a hallucination.
To be Continued
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